HUNTER, A 3-year-old black Lab, was
panting heavily and headed straight for the
cool basement after running for miles with
his owner on a sweltering summer afternoon. His owners later found out that
Hunter had suffered a massive heat stroke,
and they spent several anxious days wondering if their four-legged family member
would survive.

After a lengthy and expensive stay atthe veterinary hospital, Hunter recoveredand has no lasting damage from his run.“Hunter wasn’t used to running that farand didn’t have water during the jog,” saysDr. Gretchen Schoeffler, chief, CompanionAnimal Emergency and Critical Care,Cornell University College of VeterinaryMedicine, who treated Hunter. “When youare outside with your pet, be sure to watchfor signs of heat exhaustion or heatstroke,such as excessive panting, trying to stopor seeking shade.”Heatstroke is just one of many dangersthat increase for cats and dogs during thewarm summer months. But by takingpreventive measures, you can keep yourpets safe from the following common dan-gers while enjoying time together in theoutdoors.

Sun exposure and/or skin cancer

While the thought of putting sunscreenon your cat or dog may make you giggle,“Pets can get sun-burned as well as skincancer from sun expo-sure, especially on areaswithout fur such as theirnoses and inside their ears,”says Dr. Ari Zabell, director of clientadvocate support for Banfield Pet Hospital,which operates veterinary clinics across thecountry . “We don’t think about cats goingoutside, but [indoor] cats sit in the windowand bask in the sunlight.”

Leaving pets in the car

Many people leave their pets in the car
for a few minutes while they run into a
store. But in the summer months, even a
few minutes can turn deadly for animals.
According to a study by the University of
San Francisco, when it is 88 degrees outside, the interior temperature of a car
reaches 105 degrees within 20 minutes.

“People don’t think about the car get-ting too hot since it cools off quickly, espe-cially if they crack a window, but our petsdon’t sweat so they overheat quickly, whichcan be life-threatening,” says Zabell. TheHumane Society of the United States rec-ommends never leaving your dog or catunattended in the car for any period oftime, regardless of the weather.

Snakes, spiders and insects

During summer, many cats and dogs
suffer from reactions to snake, spider or
insect bites. Schoeffler says that if your pet
is bitten by a spider or snake, you need to
bring the pet into the vet immediately.

“Snake bites can either be just a local
wound or life-threatening, depending on
the type of snake,” she says. “It’s important
that we know what type of snake they were
bit by so we can properly treat the animal.”

She recommends taking a picture of
the snake if possible, or even bringing in
the dead snake.

Eating people food

Many pet owners will toss their dog aleftover hot dog after a barbecue, or thepooch will break into the trash and eatleftovers. “Eating only a hot dog or a ham-burger can really wreak havoc on theirintestinal system because theyare not used to it and [it] cancause diarrhea and vomit-ing. Some pets even getpancreatitis, which canbe life-threatening,from eating tablefood,” says Zabell.Dogs also oftenget bones lodged intheir throat or theirintestines. Zabell rec-ommends only feedingpets their appropriatefood as well as makingsure that all table food andgarbage is out of their reach.

Lost pets

Since many people take their pets onvacation or spend time outside with them,the number of lost pets rises during thesummer months. “Your dog and cat shouldhave a collar with up-to-date ID tags on atall times. If you take your dog hiking or tothe beach, it’s safest to not let them off-leash,” says Dr. Tina Wisemer, medicaldirector of the ASPCA Animal PoisonControl Center. “Microchipping can helpreturn an animal to its rightful owner iftheir collar comes off.”If you’re traveling, make sure that yourcellphone number is on your pet’s ID tag sothat you can quickly be reunited, instead ofa message being left at an empty house. C

Jennifer Goforth Gregory is a freelance
writer and lives in North Carolina with her
husband, two kids and three dogs.